Chapter Thirty Nine: The Crew is Headed for Gondor
(We return and find ourselves once again among a number of the Rohirrim. The group of riders has been riding for roughly the past two and a half days. Goodness knows what is taking them so long to get to Gondor, but you know, when there are a few thousand of you all on horses riding in the same direction, brakes become rather appealing after a while. Besides, the horsies get a wee bit testy sometimes. Thus we find Eowyn, Stevie, and the ever-faithful Meriadoc resting their sore bums on a nice patch of grass located on the outskirts of the Rohirric camp.)
Stevie: I don�t know how much more of this I can take!
Eowyn: What do you mean? We should be getting there relatively soon.
Stevie: Not for another five days.
Eowyn: As I said, we should be getting there relatively soon.
Stevie: Ugh this is slow.
Merry: How do you know it�s five days?
Stevie: The same way I know everything, little hobbit. I just do.
Merry: What happens when we reach Gondor? Will I be able to see Pippin again?
Stevie: Aye, you shall see him again. And, if you must know, there will be a huge battle.
Eowyn: (eyes widen) Battle?
Stevie: I do believe that is what I said. Battle. Those thingies where there are like good dudes and bad dudes and they all have pointy objects and they run and yell and stab and die all over the place. Those things.
Eowyn: (glares) I am aware of what a battle is, Stephanie. I am not incompetent.
Stevie: (groans) I didn�t say that you were. I was explaining. If I wanted to tell you that you are stupid, I�d more or less go �Oh yeah, Eowyn? You�re a moron!� but I didn�t do that, now did I? No.
Merry: Ugh! Stop it! You�re making my head hurt.
Stevie: Sorry Mister Merry.
Merry: (cringes) You sound like Sam!
(Merry realizes what it is he just said and suddenly becomes quiet. You can tell he is quietly thinking of our dearest Samwise and Frodo trekking off to Mordor and most likely their dooms. Looking as if he might just break out sobbing, Stevie gives him a comforting hug.)
Stevie: Don�t worry, Merry. They�ll make it through. We just have to fight a little bit harder for them.
Merry: Do you think we�re going to die in five days?
Stevie: In battle it is a possibility, but I wouldn�t worry about it.
Eowyn: Why not? Surely you know better than to think of yourself as invincible, Stevie.
Stevie: Duh, �course I do. We all know that. I just feel rather confident in the strength of our combined fighting skills!
Merry: (quirks an eyebrow) What fighting skills? We�re a motley crew of a midget, a princess, and a crazy girl. What are we going to do? Scare Sauron off with the oddness of the company we keep?
Stevie: (smirks) Actually, if we tried, I think we might have a chance at that.
Eowyn: Don�t joke like that. This is a serious matter.
Stevie: I know!
Merry: (frowns) I am slightly curious�..are you going to leave me behind?
Stevie: No, of course not! You�ll be riding with us!
Eowyn: Aye, you�ll be riding with me.
Merry: Are you certain you won�t mind? I don�t want to get in the way or anything.
Eowyn: No, I don�t mind. I am the better rider and I can maneuver on a horse better than Stevie can with you. Besides, we agreed on it. I�d like to have you fighting with me by my side anyway.
Merry: Really?
Stevie: Yes, she would. Besides, Merry, I have some crazy ventures I�m going to have to go off on and if I am going to end up getting myself killed I don�t want to drag you into that. You and Eowyn will be just fine.
Merry: Alright. (sighs) I don�t know about you two, but I am going to have a wee bit of a nap before we set off again.
Eowyn: Sounds good. I think I�ll have one to. How about you, Stevie?
Stevie: I think I�ll pass on that one. I�ll keep an eye out; make sure no one else gets too close. Can�t have our secret being discovered, now can we?
(Meanwhile, we take a look back in Gondor to see what our buddies Pippin and Gandalf are up to. Right now they are engaging in a conversation with everyone else�s favorite son of Gondor, Faramir. They are obviously talking about Frodo and Sam, who we have also been neglecting for a long while yet.)
Gandalf: Faramir, have you seen others like young Peregrin here?
Faramir: Yes, but two days ago in Ithilien.
Pippin: You�ve seen Frodo and Sam? They�re all right?
Faramir: They appeared to be. We found them while we were out on patrol. We took them with us into Ithilien and then to Osgiliath, or at least what remains of it. It was there, along with this strange creature that I let them go.
Gandalf: Strange creature? Could it be Gollum?
Faramir: Ah yes, that was it. Frodo kept calling him Smeagol. Gandalf, the creature is leading them to the Tower of Cirith Ungol.
Gandalf: Oh no. Frodo should have known better than to trust that filthy creature.
Faramir: Sam did not seem to trust him very much.
Gandalf: It is in a case like that where I would be thankful for Samwise�s overly suspicious nature. The Ring must be weighing heavily on Frodo now.
Faramir: Gandalf, I must confess that I was going to take the Ring from Frodo and bring it here to my father.
Gandalf: But you did not, and that is what matters most. I just hope that Frodo regains his senses before that filthy wretch leads them into any real harm.
Faramir: Sam will watch out for him. He protected him from me, and it looks like he is pretty good at it.
Pippin: I knew they were just fine Gandalf! I knew it all along.
Gandalf: (smiles) That you did, my dear Took, that you did.
